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Friday, November 25, 2016

Review: Summer at Castle Stone

✩✩✩✩

Shayla Sheridan’s a New York native born into big city luxury, but
she’s never really fitted in with the “it” crowd. Desperate to make it
as a writer and to finally step out from her famous father’s shadow,
Shayla decides to take on a tricky assignment across the pond…Swapping
skyscrapers and heels for wellies and the heart of the Irish
countryside, Shayla must go about ghost-writing a book of recipes by the
notoriously reclusive and attractive head chef of Castle Stone, Tom
O’Grady.The only problem? He has no idea that she’s writing it.

Genre: contemporary romance

Publishing date:July 2014

Mature content: yes

Review:At the beginning,Summer at Castle Stone reminded me of Sophie Kinsella's Shopaholic series, because Shayla is just a walking disaster with the best of intentions. Then the setting moved to Ireland and I loved to see her adjusting to a totally different way of life. At that point, I would have gladly flown to Ireland to have those experiences myself.

Towards the end, though, the story becomes a bit muddled and that's the reason why this book doesn't rate five stars by my standards. Just as Shayla benefits for a simpler life in Ireland, I think the book would benefit from a slightly simpler plot. Also, I really wanted to like Tom but unfortunately he comes across as annoying, old fashioned and meddling in his mother's life in all the wrong ways. I think he too has good intentions, but where Shayla blows through her good intentions in an hilarious way, he's too broody to be hilarious.

Despite all that, Summer at Castle Stone is still a funny, heartwarming, addictive book, perfect for any season and I recommend it.